I always feel kinda weird about posting "sold" beside everything (like I'm tooting my own horn or something) but I don't want to get emails and PMs from people who want them, only to disappoint.

I think I'll have to do a special sale just on this thread for TCers--after all, this IS where I got my glamorous start! Maybe I'll make it an annual affair... Okay, the wheels on this are turning now in my head! Time to let that idea simmer for a while. I'll keep you all posted.

"The Mystery of Music" is just beautiful, Heather. It's a really poignant piece that expresses so much. The birds and floating notes are perfect. Lucky Lee, but then again, we really love our little seafarer! We'll see you & Mike in a few months~!

I love the melancholy mood of "The Mystery of Music" and appreciate that it is set outside of a canoe. Beautiful work.

First Robb, thank you so much for posting. I was blown away by your work when I stumbled on it on TC a while ago and continue to be so--always stunning and inspiring. And believe me, I'm the first to admit, sure, maybe I have a bit of a canoe problem, but I've got it under control... It's not like it's a real problem or anything... I can totally handle it... I don't NEED to paint canoes, I just WANT to... I can stop any time I want... I swear...

Or maybe I should take this opportunity to admit publicly something you've all known for a while now... that I'm totally, shamelessly, remorselessly addicted to canoe imagery.

"Tiki Demon"
5" x 7" Acrylic on Black Velvet
This was a commission piece for a friend.

There's just something so "Heart of Darkness" about black velvet. The way it surrounds its subject with such utter perfect blackness--to me it just screams: hapless wanderers paddling off into uncharted realms!

For me, the image of the canoe can be a symbol of moving forward, shaking off the past, confronting the abyss of the unknown. It can denote a sense of being lost, adrift, un-anchored; or one of knowing exactly where you're going. It's paddlers can embark upon a long and uncertain journey. Or it can usher them home to the familiar safety of the tribe. If tiki is the soul, canoe is the body!

That said, I am doing my best to overcome my ritual obsession with painting canoes, and I hope to make a full recovery. In homage to that, may I present (I even set up a little altar for him):

Thanks to everyone else who replied to this most recent post and also to posts past. I was in a mad dash to finish my accounting for tax time these past two weeks (Canadian tax time) but that is officially done! Of course I'm a little behind on everything else now, but I'm sneaking in a few minutes to wax poetic about canoes and post here again (finally!)

I've been really bad about not giving personal replies on this thread but I hope this post will help me turn over a new leaf and remedy that. Making art is such a remarkably solitary job most of the time, and one of the best parts is being able to break out of your little art-bubble when you finish something and share your art with other people. Thanks for being such a receptive audience!

Thanks for your encouragement Clarita!

Andy--Mahalo! I should have known you would dig this piece. I just realized I haven't posted the little seafarer here yet... mind if I do?

BigToe--I'm glad you like the colors, I'm definitely experimenting more now that I'm getting more used to the medium. And "kidnapped" is one of my favs too... I wish I'd painted that one to keep!

That's it girls and boys!
My canoe awaits. See you on the other side!
Mahalo,
Heather

Dang Heather!
Blue Canoe's face is full of happy mystery!
and Cryptkeeper's mask is on FIYAH!
Glad your pushing the envelope on these
it's an artist's duty to push it/examine it
and fully conquer a medium/subject matter
and you have!
Always a delight to see your paintings!

LLT--you're like a bottomless well of encouragement, you know that? Your prolific creation of a seemingly endless line-up of tiki characters in every conceivable scene (not to mention your colors and your totally fluid, dynamic animated sense of style!) is a total inspiration! And if that weren't enough, you leave thoughtful posts like this on my thread!

Markusk & VanTiki! Thanks for the nice comments on Cryptkeeper. He was a really time-intensive piece, but totally worth it. Mahalo! (VanTiki--your stuff also blows me away. I gotta get back in that thread again and do some more lurking...)

Okay that's it for now. I'm wrapping up a small hula girl velvet tonight for a local show here in Vancouver, and I'm in the process of making some greeting cards again and new earrings to post in a shiny new Etsy store! Never a dull moment. Anyway, I'll keep you posted, especially with the hula girl when she's done.
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Thanks for taking my comment the right way. I think your using the same imagery is a good idea. Gallery-level artists like you do especially well if you don't frantically experiment all the time - a la Sas Christensen, Fafi, Dalek, etc.

I'm personally addicted to deep, deep jungle - it touches the deepest part of me and makes my work personal in a way most people probably can't see, but hopefully feel.

I appreciate the design of your tikis - very fanciful but tightly done at the same time. And that soft, soft, glowey light....
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Robb--I'll reply to your post next time I post... right now... must... sleep. But first I'll post my hula girl piece, which I just finished. She's going in a local show here in Vancouver tomorrow night as part of the burlesque festival. I'll edit this post with a better scan and add a framed pic later.